An album of
Black Francis songs inspired by sex might seem unexpected, but it’s never been a taboo topic in his music. Many of
the Pixies’ best songs dealt with knowing someone in the biblical sense --literally, in the case of “Dead” and “Nimrod’s Son,” to name just two. It’s a given that an album of erotic songs by
Black Francis won’t be the same as one by, say,
Barry White, but even by
Francis’ own standards,
NonStopErotik deals with its subject matter as elliptically as possible. Rabbits, ferns, and other natural fertility motifs pepper these songs, most of which are reveries inspired by love and sensuality rather than anything raunchy. “Lake of Sin”’s title is the most risqué thing about it; “Nonstoperotik” is more romantic than erotic, with a sweet melody and limpid guitar solo that recalls “You Look Wonderful Tonight,” and “When I Go Down on You” plays like a hymn to intimacy rather than a mating call. Though “Six Legged Man” is a typical but well-done rave-up and “Wild Son” once again connects sex and religion to trippy effect,
NonStopErotik does have moments where it rises above expectations. With strings, saxophone, and falsetto vocals, “Rabbits” is about as close to a quiet storm ballad as
Francis is likely to get, while “Cinema Star” saves the best for last, delivering a hypnotic rocker that sounds more like
Sonic Youth than
Francis' work with
the Pixies or his solo career.
NonStopErotik feels intimate in a way that proves he can still find daring territory going into the third decade of his career. ~ Heather Phares